International Relations and Economics
International Relations and Economics at the School of Oriental and African Studies addresses questions about how the world is organised through two interlocking lenses. International relations examines the relationships between states, the institutions through which they cooperate and compete, the causes of conflict and the conditions for peace, and the role of non-state actors from multinational corporations to international NGOs and social movements. Economics provides the analytical tools for understanding how resources are produced and distributed, how trade and investment shape the relative power of states, and how global economic institutions function.
SOAS is distinctive as a place to study these subjects. The school's specialism in Africa, Asia and the Middle East means that international relations and economics at SOAS does not take a Western-centric perspective as its default: it asks you to understand the international order from multiple vantage points, including those of the global South and of societies whose experiences of colonialism, development and marginalisation are central to understanding how the world works today. This gives the degree an intellectual depth and critical rigour that is genuinely unusual.
The degree includes a foundation year for students who need additional preparation before beginning the full programme. You will study political theory, international political economy, diplomatic history, microeconomics and macroeconomics, developing both the theoretical foundations and the analytical skills to engage with complex global questions.
Graduates work in international organisations, the diplomatic service, NGOs, international business, financial institutions, policy research, journalism, development finance and the civil service. The combination of economic and political analysis is highly valued in organisations that operate across national boundaries. Postgraduate study in international relations, development economics, international political economy or area studies is a natural continuation.